This invention relates generally to an apparatus for making electrical lead wires, and more particularly, to an apparatus for placing pods on terminals on electrical lead wires after the terminals are placed on the lead wires.
In electrical connector technology, electrical device interconnect wires, or electrical lead wires, are prepared into short lengths and stripped at both ends. The wires then have terminals attached to each end thereof which are used to make connections between the contact points, such as blade connectors, on electrical devices. In many installations, the interconnect wires are required to be installed onto very closely-spaced contact points. In these applications, it is desirable to place insulation pods over the terminals so that there is no possibility of a short circuit developing between adjacent terminals or contact points during operation. These pods are generally installed on the terminal after the terminal has been crimped to the interconnect wire.
In one type of apparatus for installing insulation pods onto terminated interconnect wires, the pods are loaded into a hopper from which they are fed to the target area for installation. The hopper vibrates to feed, sort and position the pods into proper orientation for placement on the terminals. The operator inserts a terminated interconnect wire and depresses a foot switch. The apparatus pushes the pod onto the terminal and another pod is advanced to the installation area.
One deficiency with the above device is that the hopper does not always sort and feed the pods in the proper way for placement in the target area. It has been found that the vibrating device is very greatly affected by changes in relative humidity. Under certain conditions, such devices become unreliable as far as their ability to orient the pods correctly for installation on the terminals.
Another prior art device of interest relative to the present invention is an automatic system for terminating and cutting cord with the use of a transfer arm. In this device, plastic cord is fed by a feed tube from an endless supply into a press where mechanical fastener terminals are crimped onto the end of the cord. Through the use of the transfer arm, which pivots at one end and is attached to the feed tube on the other end, the terminated cord is transfered to a cutting position. Thus, this device automatically terminates a cord, transfers the cord to a second position, feeds the proper length of cord from the endless supply, cuts the cord and sends the cut cord to a delivery station.
The present invention is used with interconnectable pods which can be delivered to the pod installation station in strip fashion. These pods can be pre-inspected prior to their being made up into strips. An example of suitable pods is disclosed in United Kingdom application, No. 37791/78, filed on Sept. 22, 1978, and entitled "Interlocking Housings."
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to improve the installation of interlocking insulation pod housings onto terminated wires.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for installing pre-inspected pods automatically onto terminated wires.
It is another object of the present invention to provide automatic separation of strips of interconnected pod housings.
It is another object of the present invention to combine in one automatic apparatus the functions of lead wire termination and insulating pod installation.
It is another object of the present invention to contain lead wire termination and pod installation operations in a relatively small space.